As more consumers shop online, avatars are being used to support consumer purchase behavior in many online shopping sites and virtual worlds. Previous studies have suggested that avatars have positive effects on consumers' online shopping experience and are important for the successful operation of a website. Despite their increasing importance, findings from previous studies have not been organized to provide a systematic understanding of avatars. Therefore, in this paper, previous research on avatars is reviewed in terms of the effects of (1) the existence of avatars, (2) avatar design, and (3) avatar communication. Based on this review, this paper suggests that future research should (1) examine new moderation variables, (2) focus on avatars in social media, (3) examine new avatar design factors, and (4) simultaneously examine the effects of avatar design and communication.
The number of advertisements using character endorsers has increased considerably recently. Character endorsers have also attracted growing interest from advertising researchers. Considering that previous research has contributed to improved understanding of the effectiveness of character endorsers, it is essential to organize previous research findings and clarify important questions for future research. This paper reviews previous research on character endorsers in terms of (1) classification of character endorsers, (2) positive effects of character endorsers on consumer attitude, and (3) moderators of the effects of character endorsers. This paper proposes that future research should (1) identify additional moderators, (2) examine negative effects of character endorsers on consumer attitudes, and (3) focus on additional dependent variables.
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